Forces in Religion

   

I pass by this monument every single day on my way home and on my way to the train, but not once have I noticed it until recently. It’s astounding how much I can miss while I’m power walking around everywhere I go. Being completely induced in my electronics makes all of my surroundings seize to disappear. On my mission to finding a religious object in New York City, I have come to realize how much I have been missing out. I have gradually grown conscious of things around me that I have never noticed previously despite them being right in front of my eyes.  To be truthful, the first thing that I noticed wasn’t the monument, but that lonely yellow flower that lies among the green grass. To me it is very similar to the monument itself because it’s one of the only religious symbols on this street of Astoria, so it stands out just like the flower. The monument is placed individually in the garden outside the Immaculate Conception Parish and School. What is really compelling about this monument is that it isn’t placed up front and center, on the contrary it is placed very subtly on the side; it’s placed only for those who take in their surroundings carefully and thoroughly. Even though its public and anyone can see it, only those who care enough will see it. Not even the children who attend this school can see it unless they go on the other side, for it’s fairly distant from the school’s entrance.

In How Things Matter, I came to learn that physical/material objects aren’t just signs of beliefs, but that they are actually very powerful forces themselves.  This monument which reads, “In memory of Gods babies the aborted the miscarried the stillborn”, is a very strong force that displays very important messages that influence how we comprehend religion. So although we inheritingly believe that religion is something in the mind only, we can see now that is not true. Imagery can affect our thoughts and opinions more than we can think. This religious object also reminds me of Falwell’s argument in Listen America! where he argues that America is becoming less and less religious. Monuments like the one in this image are verifications that Falwell’s argument is completely invalid.

The image of Virgin Mary holding a child can manage to touch anyone’s heart regardless of whether they are religious or not. Children, which are known for their innocence, manage to melt the heart of everyone, even those whom are naturally cold hearted. Abortion, which is considered a sin in Christianity and in many other major religions, is a topic that is very prevalent in Dorothy Day’s memoir, The Long Loneliness. Before converting to Catholicism, Dorothy Day has experienced one of the most typical abortion stories. Day becomes pregnant by the man whom she loves, but whom insisted that she carry out an abortion after being informed that she’s pregnant. After aborting the baby and becoming a Catholic, Day deeply regretted doing so. The word “innocent” which is written on the monument regarding the babies makes the passerby wonder, if the babies are innocent, then who is guilty especially in regards to miscarriages and stillborn, in which the parents/mother are completely powerless? I think that Day would say that no one is guilty, for she would believe that God forgives all sins once a person has repented.

Many religious images, sculptures, and objects tend to be made using colorful tools in order to portray significance and divinity, but that is not the case here. Here the font is very ordinary, the color is white and the background is black, yet the power behind this object is unlimited. Text and imagery can have as much potential and strength in the American world, precisely New York just like thoughts and beliefs could and I am here to give small evidence in support of that.